Author Archive
The Non-Gardener
That’s what I am, a non-gardener. I’m not one to kneel among the weeds, pulling them out one by one, nor one to enjoy planting. I just want flowers to appear magically and remain beautiful throughout the growing season – no planting – no weeds – no work. “Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, […]
The Eighth Annual 4th of July Moynahan Reunion
This year our gathering was special, as we celebrated our granddaughter’s (Xan Gerson’s and Noah Williams’s) wedding, which was held in Seattle on May 25th. Twenty-eight family members and friends plus Pink Panther joined us. See pictures of our Wedding Extravaganza!
The Little House that Grew
When I was in kindergarten (early 1940s) in School 13 in Valley Stream, Long island, NY, I remember a story the teacher read aloud to us on more than one occasion. I always loved it, although can’t remember the exact title. I call it “The Little House that Grew”. It was about a family of […]
Lessons in Pottery
Back in 1958 BC (Before Children) we rented a little house in a subdivision called Harundale in Glen Burnie, MD. Our yard was non-descript except that we didn’t have much soil and what there was had been put on top of a layer of red clay. During rains the red clay would ooze to the […]
Our Faithful Cherry Trees
Our spring season probably hasn’t been much different from the rest of the northeast’s season. It came early after a not-so-snowy winter. Both the lack of snow storms and the early arrival of warm, sunny days mixed with enough rain was a blessing after some of the long winters of shoveling the car out, scraping […]
Testing the Art Markets
A few months ago I had 25 prints each made of eight pen and ink drawings. Am not quite sure why, although a few people had previously mentioned they would have bought an original except for the price. “Why don’t you get prints made?” some asked. “We could afford them.” I debated. Where would I […]
‘What Do You Do All Winter?”
“Winter solitude- in a world of one colour the sound of the wind.” Matsuo Basho How many times have we been asked “What do you do all winter?” When people visit us or even hear that we live on top of a mountain with few neighbors, the first thing they focus on is winter. Yes, […]
Meet Wood Charles
It’s February 2nd, also known as Groundhog Day. I personally put my faith into the groundhog’s predictions for the length of winter-like weather. Any animal which faithfully comes out of his burrow each year must have some knowledge of the season’s future, otherwise why would we, or he, even acknowledge his shadow, or lack thereof? […]
One of Winter’s Pleasures
Winter on the mountain is beautiful after a snow. Everything is solid white; even our plowed road and driveway are white, unlike the streets in town or the highways which are sloppy and covered with dirt. On sunny days we sometimes bundle up and go out for a walk, but most often, especially when it’s […]
The Forest “Folk”
“Stories of old tell that hundreds of years ago, small mountain folk inhabited the rocks and boulders of Backbone Mountain.” Denise Hillman Moynahan, The Great Cavern of the Winds: Tales from Backbone Mountain After a busy summer and autumn I finally got back to my drawing board. It always feels good, except for the […]